Abstract: A tempering ring for supporting a hot shaped glass sheet during tempering has inner and outer rings conforming in shape and outline to that of the hot glass sheet. Individual glass sheet support members with pivoting head members are mounted around the perimeter of the tempering ring. The head members pivot to conform to the peripheral contours of the hot shaped glass sheet. The glass sheet support members are each adjusted in both a longitudinal and vertical direction.

Abstract: A roll forming apparatus for shaping heat-softened glass sheets into a configuration having a longitudinal radius of curvature that varies in a direction transverse to the glass sheet. Opposing ends of each forming roll are mounted along continuous arcuate paths defining two different longitudinal radii. Quenching rolls are mounted downstream of the forming rolls with each opposing end mounted along a continuation of the corresponding longitudinal radii.

Abstract: A tempering ring for supporting a hot shaped glass sheet during tempering has inner and outer rings conforming in shape and outline to that of the hot glass sheet. Individual glass sheet support members are mounted around the perimeter of the tempering ring so that the glass sheet support surfaces of the support members define a peripheral contour similar to that of the hot shaped glass sheet. The glass sheet support members are each adjusted in both a longitudinal and vertical direction.

Abstract: Differentially stretched plastic with a dyed border along one side suitable for shaded interlayers of laminated windshields moves in an arcuate path away from a frustoconical roll of a continuously operating differential web stretcher toward an intermittently operated web cutting machine, which tends to veer the web transversely every time it starts to pull a length of web into the cutting machine. The present invention realigns the arcuately shaped web between cutting operations when necessary to compensate for lateral veering of the arcuate plastic web from the arcuate path it takes so as to cause the web to enter the web cutting machine at a proper angle and orientation for cutting.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling hot glass sheets comprises a rigid ring-like member of a composition that causes rejectable defects in a bent glass sheet when it contacts the hot glass sheet directly. Insulating material that does not mar the glass sufficiently to cause rejectable defects is used to cover the rigid member. However, no material known to date lasts forever. The present invention provides screen mesh reinforcement means within the thickness of the glass sheet engaging member to produce fine marks that do not cause rejection of the finished article to warn operating personnel to replace the hot glass sheet engaging member with a fresh hot glass sheet engaging member before the hot glass sheet engaging member becomes worn to the extent that the rigid member causes a rejectable defect. Clamping means is provided to replace a worn glass engaging member rapidly.

Abstract: Glass edge engagement members for use with an outline bending mold having mold portions with upwardly facing shaping surfaces are spring biased to enable the glass edge engaging members to move between an extended position above the shaping surface due to spring biasing force and a retracted position due to abutment force that opposes the spring biasing force when said outline bending mold abuts another shaping mold.

Abstract: In apparatus for shaping sheets of heat-softenable material, such as glass and plastics, an upper vacuum mold is provided with an apertured wall member of low expansion refractory material to engage a heat-softened sheet during a portion of its shaping. In order to improve its durability, metal clamping devices that cause high local stresses in the refractory wall member are not used to secure the refractory wall member to metal structural elements of the vacuum mold. The present invention comprises novel mold structure to support a lower apertured wall member of refractory material on an inverted metal box member without metal attachment devices that induce high local stresses.

Abstract: Glass sheet handling devices are provided with glass sheet engaging surfaces composed of a phenolic resin reinforced with fibers of an aromatic polyamide composition. In a specific embodiment of this invention, a sufficient number of said fibers extend to an exposed surface of said devices to develop a coefficient of friction sufficient to prevent relative sliding between the exposed surface of said glass sheet engaging member and said glass sheet.

Abstract: Sheets of heat-deformable material, such as glass, are shaped to non-uniform curvatures that include a localized sharply bent portion near one side portion of the sheet by lifting the sheet while the latter is at a deformation temperature range on a lower lifting mold of special construction that includes spaced, transversely extending slats having upper edge surfaces defining the non-uniform bend and a longitudinally extending end slat whose upper edge surface defines a transverse curve that merges with the upper edge surfaces of said transversely extending slats.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-leveled storage system located immediately above a glass sheet bending lehr. The multi-leveled storage system includes an elevator which enables an operator to transfer empty bending molds in groups from a return conveyor located above the roof of a bending lehr onto any one of several storage levels and to replace the tranferred molds with molds needed to produce a different pattern by transferring the different pattern molds from a selected storage level and to transfer said molds needed for said different pattern onto the return conveyor of the conveyor system used for handling glass sheet bending molds. The present invention also enables an operator to shuffle molds between different storage levels to facilitate future mold exchange operations.

Abstract: A deformable vacuum holder having a glass facing wall of flexible sheet material subject to local distortion for shaping heat-softened material, such as glass sheets, has a deformable sheet of insulator material attached mechanically to said glass facing wall for engaging the flexible glass facing sheet wall of the vacuum holder. The deformable sheet has a smooth surface less subject to distortion than said glass facing wall facing the engaged glass sheet surface to avoid having scratches and other surface irregularities of the glass facing wall mar the vision area of the shaped glass sheet and is mechanically supported against the flexible sheet wall beyond the margin of the engaged glass sheet instead of being adhered to said flexible sheet wall.

Abstract: A vacuum holder for holding sheets of heat-softenable material such as glass thereagainst by vacuum during their fabrication into shaped sheets comprising a lower sheet wall that has flanking portions slit longitudinally to provide strips extending longitudinally from a central portion, the width of the strips being limited to limit transverse bulging as the holder becomes hot during a sheet shaping campaign. Longitudinal slots of increasing length from a selected transverse line, preferably one traversing the geometric center of the sheet, control longitudinal bulging of the holder.

Abstract: The invention involves a method and apparatus for bending glass sheets to an S-shaped transverse bend with a longitudinal bend. The heat softened glass sheets are serially conveyed onto a gas hearth bed having a downwardly curved end portion at the downstream end thereof such that the glass sheet curves into conformation with the gas hearth, then by means of a curved outline mold lifting the glass sheet vertically into conformation with an overlying vacuum mold, holding the shaped sheet into contact with the vacuum mold by vacuum while lowering the outline mold, then moving a shuttle ring beneath the glass sheet, discontinuing the vacuum such that the glass sheet is deposited onto the shuttle ring and then moving the shuttle ring and glass sheet laterally for further processing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the simultaneous shaping and lamination of lightweight laminated transparencies, particularly those that are suitable for use in aircraft. The plies of an assembly to be shaped and laminated are assembled with additional elements to form a flexible cell of air impervious material. The cell includes an air impervious flexible wall defining a peripheral space around the assembly and porous material in the space. The cell containing the assembly is mounted over a vacuum mold and heated to sag the cell and its assembly to the contour of the mold while evacuating the cell while the cell and said assembly are exposed to atmospheric pressure.The cell is cooled while still under evacuation until the shape of the assembly is set, then is separated from the vacuum mold. The resulting assembly thus shaped and laminated is separated from the cell.

Abstract: A vacuum mold for supporting a flexible sheet of interlayer material for assembly against a bent glass sheet or between a pair of bent glass sheets of matching configuration has a first apertured wall shaped to conform to the shape of the bent glass, and a second apertured wall of conforming shape adapted for coupling to a vacuum source to form and hold the flexible sheet of interlayer material against the mold in unwrinkled condition. The mold is pivoted to a carriage from a mold loading orientation of convex elevational configuration to a mold unloading orientation of concave elevational configuration.

Abstract: Bending a glass sheet to a complicated shape that comprises one portion bent sharply relative to a main portion of the sheet involving the use of a vacuum holder, an auxiliary shaping rail and means to correlate the movement of the shaping rail with that of the glass sheet during a bending cycle to insure that the glass sheet is clear of the auxiliary shaping rail except for such time in the glass sheet bending cycle that requires the auxiliary shaping rail to engage the glass sheet portion to be sharply bent against the corresponding portion of the vacuum holder. Another feature incorporated in a preferred embodiment of the present invention facilitates ready removal of glass fragments whenever a flawed glass sheet fractures at or beyond a shaping station outside a furnace where the glass sheet is heated to its deformation temperature.

Abstract: A glass sheet is press bent between a pair of bending molds of complementary shape provided with covers using burning gas source means that supplies heat by directing burning gas flames toward the bottom edge of a glass sheet. The burning gas source means is constructed and arranged to be directed toward the path taken by the glass sheet when the latter moves into a shaping position with the press bending molds retracted and to pivot away from the mold covers when the press bending molds engage the glass sheet including its bottom edge during the shaping of the sheet. Preferably, the burning gas source means has a shape that conforms with the shape of the bottom edge of the glass sheet undergoing press bending and has an upwardly directed downstream portion to provide clearance as the glass sheet moves into said shaping position in a direction such that a recessed lower edge portion thereof is the leading edge of the glass sheet during its path of movement into the shaping station.

Abstract: A ring-like member for use in lifting a glass sheet from a given path to the vicinity of a vacuum holder at a shaping station has its movement coordinated mechanically with stop means that engages the leading edge of a glass sheet at an edge locating position when said ring-like member is below said given path and mechanically retracts from said edge locating position in unison with said ring-like member when said ring-like member moves in the direction of the thickness of said glass sheet to engage and lift said glass sheet. This mechanical coordination of movements avoids rubbing the glass sheet edge in the direction of the glass sheet thickness during its lifting without requiring complicated and expensive coordinating equipment.

Abstract: Vacuum is applied to help separate a press bent glass sheet from between a pair of complementary press bending molds during the separation of said molds after completing said press bending.

Abstract: Multiple chamber vacuum holders for use in shaping sheets of glass or other heat-softenable material to complex shapes require a different level of vacuum in adjacent vacuum chambers. A porous fiber glass cover used with such vacuum holders provide passages for residual air in adjacent passages to tend to equalize when a sheet is held against the porous cover. The present invention helps maintain a difference in level of vacuum between adjacent vacuum chambers by interposing a narrow space vented to atmosphere between adjacent vacuum chambers of the multiple chamber vacuum holder.